Here is my wildcat. Its setup with an E-flite power-10, a phoenix 45, an 1800 40C 3cell, and a 12x6 APC prop. With a fresh battery its pulling 46 Amps at 500 watts. Maiden flight was today, and the plane flew great. This is one smooth flying plane, even at high speeds.

...and the primer is already on...what color is going to get once it's finished?

For all of those out there who like a 3 bladed prop better than the two bladed one I might have a good option. I just mounted a Master Air Screw in 9x7x3 and the Amp meter shows 15A at WOT! So we can mount this screw onto the original 18A ESC and still have an improvement over the original 9x6 prop. I will make test flights tomorrow and send a report later...

With the 9x7.5x3 Corsair prop I get 22A max...so there is still room in my 30A ESC. Anybody out there who knows a good looking 9x8x3 prop? It would be nice to get to around 28A on the meter...should be around 25A max in the air.

cheers
Uwe

Hello all

I was out there in my neighborhood to check out a new (temporary) flying field. They are building a brand new "Autobahn" in an otherwise unpopulated area here...can you imagine a 40m wide and endlessly long runway in the smoothest most expensive black tarmac you can imagine. Too bad it's only going to be usable for a relatively short time...I think I have to get a jet soon...

Anyway, I tested the new 9x7x3 Master Air Screw on the Wildcat.
It's not as hot a flier as with the 3 bladed PZ Corsair prop but still a lot better than with the stock one...and it only draws 15A. I did three flights of each 8,5min...two with mixed throttle and some mild aerobatics and one with 90% WOT The first two Lipos had 37% and 34% left when I landed, the third one was at 21%. So from my point of view this is THE prop for those who do not want to upgrade their ESC

I had my maiden flight today. Actually got 3 flights on it. I bought the BNF model. The first flight I used the stock battery (1300). I had to add about 6-8 clicks of up elevator and about 4-6 left aileron. All control surfaces were straight before flight. After trimming she flew great. The next 2 flights were on 1800 batteries. Just 1 or 2 more clicks of up elevator.

As far as the ar500 rx issues go, I have had zero problems with the ones I have been using. And they have only been bound once during the build. I always plug in my battery before turning on the tx. And turn off the tx before I unplug the battery.

As far as the ar500 rx issues go, I have had zero problems with the ones I have been using. And they have only been bound once during the build. I always plug in my battery before turning on the tx. And turn off the tx before I unplug the battery.

I am also using the AR500, I have 4 of them...no issues what so ever yet!
Are you sure about the procedure you use...I do it the other way around, Transmitter on first and off last...I once forgot this on my 450 Heli and when I turned the TX off and the battery was still on all of a sudden it came to life full power and almost jumped in my face...not funny this is!!!

I am also using the AR500, I have 4 of them...no issues what so ever yet!
Are you sure about the procedure you use...I do it the other way around, Transmitter on first and off last...I once forgot this on my 450 Heli and when I turned the TX off and the battery was still on all of a sudden it came to life full power and almost jumped in my face...not funny this is!!!

cheers
Uwe

Yep. I've been doing it that way now for a year and a half. I would think turning on the the tx first would give you more of an issue.

Yesterday, my P-51 BL snap rolled left and dove straight into the ground on launch. I was trying to correct with right aileron but it just made things worse. I figured out later that the ailerons and elevator were both reversed. I always check my control surfaces before flight, but for some reason it didn't register that they were moving the wrong way (give me a break it was early!) It has an AR500 bound to a DX6i. I bound it once when I bought the plane and have not been messing with the settings on my Tx at all. Any idea how the control surfaces could reverse by themselves? If I remember right, I had to reverse them out of the box when I bought it, could the receiver have reset somehow? I have 6 planes bound to this Tx and the other 5 are fine. No idea what happened.

Yep. I've been doing it that way now for a year and a half. I would think turning on the the tx first would give you more of an issue.

Why on Earth would turning on your TX (transmitter) first cause more of an issue? Seriously, I want to read the logic behind that statement. If you plug in your RX (receiver) first you have no control over the frequency. This means that a digital signal only has to be close to trigger a reaction. Having a prop chew up your right hand will make you aware of this real quick. The purpose of having your TX on first is so that you have complete control over your aircraft from power on to power off.

Why on Earth would turning on your TX (transmitter) first cause more of an issue? Seriously, I want to read the logic behind that statement. If you plug in your RX (receiver) first you have no control over the frequency. This means that a digital signal only has to be close to trigger a reaction. Having a prop chew up your right hand will make you aware of this real quick. The purpose of having your TX on first is so that you have complete control over your aircraft from power on to power off.

Yep. I've been doing it that way now for a year and a half. I would think turning on the the tx first would give you more of an issue.

Dwhart -

!! Uh, ugh. You want to be "on the air" with your tx first. That's the instructions from the radio manufacturers. Otherwise, your rx picks up 'hash' and can throw the servos into overtravel which can be damaging.

TX first every time and off last every time period. The other way is just asking for an accident. If you were to bind or program with just a touch of throttle the when you turn the TX off the RX would go into safe mode and turn on the throttle. Any programmable radio is designed to be turned on first and off last period.

Loss of control in a 6100 or 6110 has been explained away with one of my above mentioned methods every time I have come across one of those conversations. The AR500 had a rough start back when they first came out and if I remember correctly it came down to a firmware update. If the AR500 is still having problems beyond what I stated above then there may be a need for another firmware update. Either way I wont trust them as far as I can throw them. Plus they cost more than the reliable ones.

I'll have to look back for your explanation of the reported problems with the 6100 and 6110. I just know there are threads I've read about similar problems with both that I don't think have really ever been resolved for many.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orion Pax

As for the antenna, I have never consciously bent my antenna. I fly with it straight out or bent up. Its an antenna and it emits a functional competent signal regardless of where or how it is pointing.

That is not true I'm afraid. The signal comes mostly off the side of the antenna and there is a definite weakness of the signal off the point and for some range of angle off axis.

All Spektrum radio manuals warn against pointing the antenna at the model.

Quote:

Do not point the transmitter antenna directly toward the model. The radiation pattern from the tip of the antenna is inherently low.

I have long suspected this this is the cause of many loss of control situations.

This is an illustration of the radiation pattern coming off an antenna. The Z axis is concentric with the antenna. It would be orientated this way with the antenna pointing straight up. Of course this illustration is a representation of the pattern in empty space. With the ground cutting through the x and y axis things will look a bit different but it doesn't completely alter the weakness on axis. If your antenna is pointing at the plane, well I think you can see this would not be good.

All the conversations where a new pilot goes out and buys the all mighty Mustang, comes here looking for tips and we advise the new pilot to consider a more beginner oriented aircraft only to read the sob story later or possibly never hear from that person again because we were right and they don't want to hear the I told you so.

The difference here is we are all experienced and there should be no excuses.
FM, Digital, it doesn't matter. If you don't have control over the plane before the plane is on then you are inviting and accident. In the end it is your hand and plane and ultimately you are the one who has to live with it.

FYI, This is just a mild cut from a prop that a guy on here sustained. Don't know if it is from the same issue that we are discussing but it is still relevant just on the damaging power of a simple model airplane.

EDIT: Turner, you have actually proven my point.

If the Z Axis represents the antenna would you agree that whether it is pointing straight out from the TX or bent up that it is emitting the same signal in the same shape off the same Z axis?

Of course you would. So according you your diagram, If I leave my antenna straight out from the TX then the Z axis would be almost parallel with the ground. This would mean that the majority of the signal is going up right? The only complication you would have would be during landing when the plane is flying level with this Z axis. Now we know this isn't the case because the plane lands just fine with the antenna straight out.

Now lets apply your image to the antenna if I bent it up at a 45 degree or 90 degree angle. Now the antenna is pointing at the plane more often than it would be if it was straight out in front of you. Now we should find more problems in flight with signal loss according to your theory.

So when you say pointing at the plane your not really standing there pointing the antenna at the plane.

Bought this plane last week. Have to say, out of the box it was pretty uninspiring. However, after putting a Power 10 BL, 40 amp ESC, 10x7e and a 2200 mAH 3S battery it's a hoot. Unlimited vertical at half throttle, LOL.